Memorial service for Dardanella &8220;Dardie&8221; Anita Nelson, 86, of Clarks Grove was held on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Clarks Grove. The Rev. Kent Otterman officiated. Private interment will be held on a later date at the Clarks Grove Cemetery. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service at the church.

Dardanella died peacefully Jan. 10, 2008, surrounded by her family, at the Good Samaritan Center.

Dardanella was born to Albert and Nettie Cecilia (Staska) Camp on Aug. 22, 1921, in Belle Chester. The family moved to Clarks Grove in 1934. Dardanella attended elementary school in Clarks Grove and was a 1940 graduate of Albert Lea High School. She went to comptometer school in Mankato for one year.

Dardanella married Milton Nelson on June 15, 1941, at the First Baptist Church in Clarks Grove.

Dardie, as family called her, went to beauty school in Albert Lea at age 50 for one year. She opened her own beauty shop in their home and operated it for 14 years.

Dardie was a homemaker and enjoyed cooking, baking cookies, cinnamon rolls and homemade bread. One of her enjoyments was making homemade buns for her grandchildren&8217;s graduation open houses and their weddings. Dardie spent time golfing, square dancing and wintered in Lake Havasau City, Ariz., for 22 years.

Survivors include her husband, Milton of 66 years; daughter, Kathy (Irvin) Jensen Jr., son, Kenneth (Maya) Nelson, all of Clarks Grove and daughter, Michelle (Paul) Kelm of Faribault; 13 grandchildren, Cindy (David) Callahan, Chris (Kim) Jensen, Colette (Cory) Bauers all of Clarks Grove; Troy (Kelly) Nelson, Rosemount; Wayne (Kate) Nelson, Waseca; Jessica Kelm, Amanda Bartness and Brianna Bartness all of Faribault; 10 great-grandchildren, Logan and Dakota Callahan, Travis and Alyssa Jensen, Nathan, Aaron, and Sabrina Bauers, Ashley and Stephanie Nelson, Alexandra Nelson; sister, Avalon (Lonnie) Murphy, Austin, and sister and brother-in-law, Ruth and Andy Sanders, Xclak, Mexico.

Dardie was preceded in death by her parents; brother-in-law, Harold Murphy; nephew Brian Sanders; sister-in-law, Eunice Nelson; father and mother-in-law, Norman and Alice Nelson.